On Supreme Court Decision on Voting Rights: ‘Participation in Political Life Is A Right and Moral Obligation’ State U.S. Bishops

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Courtdecision June 25 striking down part of the Voting Rights Act "necessitateslegislative action to assure that no one is denied their right or obligation toparticipate in public life by voting or speaking out," said Bishop Stephen E.Blaire of Stockton, California, chair of the U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop DanielE. Flores of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committeeon Cultural Diversity. The statement follows.

"TheUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops has long played a leadership rolein securing and protecting the rights of all citizens to vote, including theVoting Rights Act. The recent Supreme Court decision necessitates that Congressact swiftly to assure that the right to vote be protected and afforded to alleligible citizens. Corresponding to this right is the moral obligation thateach of us has to participate in public life. In the U.S. bishops' statement Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,we wrote 'In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, andparticipation in political life is a moral obligation.… Participation in politicallife in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for everyCatholic and all people of good will.' We urge policymakers to quickly cometogether to reaffirm the bipartisan consensus thathas long supported the Voting Rights Act and to move forward new legislationthat assures modern and effective protections for allvoters so that they may exercise their right andmoral obligation to participate in political life."

---

Editors: Background information can be found at https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/and https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/

---

Keywords: civil rights, voting, Supreme Court, Voting RightAct, U.S. Bishops, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Stephen E.Blaire, Bishop Daniel Flores, faithful citizenship

# # # # #